A Wizard of Oz Parody

[arkadelos.livejournal.com]

The hypocrisy of the left re: tax cuts

[ccr1138.livejournal.com]

I posted a rant about this on talk_politics, where I expect to be roasted alive. I thought I'd offer it here, too, where it might get a more sympathetic audience.

First, I subscribe to a variety of political blogs and news sources from left, right, and center, so I know what people are saying. So, don't judge me that I get emails from Democracy for America or MoveOn.org! :D

Having said that, I am appalled at the tone of this email I got from Democracy for America today:
( Democracy for America's hyperbolic appeal for donations )

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Not to mention this email I got from MoveOn.org a few days ago.
( MoveOn.org's eleventy-millionth futile petition drive )

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For the "tl;dr" crowd, a few exerpts:

- Believe it or not, some corporate Democrats in the Senate might side with lobbyists and racist Tea Party Republicans instead of you and me.

- I will choose the Democrats' campaign for "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" on Election Day over the Republicans' dream of more "Tax Gifts for Millionaires"

- ... Democrats' best shot is to expose Republicans as working only to protect millionaires and corporations.

- ... a $700 billion giveaway to the richest Americans in exchange for Obama's middle class tax cuts.

- People who are already millionaires would get about $100,000 each if the Republicans get their way.

- Racist Tea Party Republicans are more intent on beating Obama -- no matter what the cost -- than creating jobs for the American middle-class. The right wing wants to score political points by taking money from our kids' and grandkids' future, and handing out tax dollars to the wealthiest Americans.

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As an independent voter, I like to get my news from a variety of sources, and MoveOn / DFA have the pulse of a pretty big segment of our society. But do they honestly believe the Tea Party as a whole is racist? That Republicans care only about the wealthy? REALLY?

Then I must conclude they are effing morons.

Also, letting people keep their own money is a "giveaway"? And they're Bush's tax cuts, not Obama's - the subject line of the first email was literally "Obama's Tax Cuts." It is SO TRANSPARENT that the Democrats finally woke up and smelled the coffee; for the first year it was nothing but "health care, health care, health care" and now suddenly their priority is jobs? Gosh, I hope the American people aren't actually stupid enough to fall for this.

Juxtapose these two statements:

- The right wing wants to score political points by taking money from our kids' and grandkids' future, and handing out tax dollars to the wealthiest Americans.
- It's now or never. The more Democrats deliver for regular Americans in September and October, the bigger our victories will be this November.

So, these leftists accuse the Republicans of wanting to keep Bush's tax cuts in order to buy a small number of votes, but they shamelessly admit they want to grab more money so they can "deliver" it to voters in exchange for victory this fall. Hypocrisy much?

I don't know about anybody else, but this sort of hyperbole and character assassination is the reason I hate both political parties at the moment. (I would present an example of an email from the DNC, but they are mercifully short on ad hominem lately -- also they are short on ideas, but that's another post.) Can we move past Junior High and discuss the issues rationally? Or has our electorate become so emotion-driven that reason and civility have been totally left behind?

Of course, we know the answer to that, unfortunately.

Ray Stevens- God Save Arizona

[pastygothchick.livejournal.com]

Edit to add The Global Warming Song

Will Social Security still be around when I retire?

[merig00.livejournal.com]

That is not a title of some pundit article, but actually section of the annual letter from Social Security that I just received.

The letter, in black on green tells me that I should trust Social Security because

"Board of Trustees now estimates that based on current laws, in 2037, the Trust Funds will be depleted." and "...there would still be enough funds in 2037 from taxes paid by workers to pay about $760 for every $1,000 in benefits scheduled"



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If laws are not changed, I will be eligible for the Social Security benefits in 2052. By their own estimate, by 2037 they will be already paying 76 cents on a dollar. Why would I want to invest into a fund like that? If this was a private pension fund that promised you such returns, would you invest with it?